Читать книгу Unwritten Literature of Hawaii - The Sacred Songs of the Hula - Nathaniel Bright Emerson - Страница 25

Altar-Prayer (to Laka)

This my wish, my burning desire,

That in the season of slumber

Thy spirit my soul may inspire,

Altar-dweller,

5

Heaven-guest,

Soul-awakener,

Bird from covert calling,

Where forest champions stand.

There roamed I too with Laka,

10

Of Lea and Loa a wilderness-child;

On ridge, in forest boon companion she

To the heart that throbbed in me.

O Laka, O Laka,

Hark to my call!

15

You approach, it is well;

You possess me, I am blest!

In the translation of this pule the author has found it necessary to depart from the verse arrangement that obtains in the Hawaiian text.

The religious services of the halau, though inspired by one motive, were not tied to a single ritual or to one set of prayers. Prayer marked the beginning and the ending of every play--that is, of every dance--and of every important event in the programme of the halau; but there were many prayers from which the priest might select. After the prayer specially addressed to Laka the visitor might use a petition of more general scope. Such is 'the one now to be given:

He Pule Kuahu (ia Kane ame Kapo); a he Pule Hoolei

Kane, hikii a'e, he malâma 73 la luna;

Ha'aha'a, he maláma ia lalo;

Oni-oni, 74 he málama ia ka'u;

He wahine 75 lei, málama ia Kapo;

5

E Kapo nui, hala-hala 76 a i'a;

E Kapo nui, hala-hala 77 a mea,

Ka alihl 78 luna, ka alihi lalo;

E ka poha-kú. 79

Noho ana Kapo i ka ulu wehi-wehi;

10

Ku ana i Moo-helaia, 80

Ka ohi'a-Ku iluna o Mauna-loa.

Aloha mai Kaulana-a-ula 81 ia'u;

Eia ka ula la, he ula leo, 82

He uku, he mohai, he alana,

15

He kanaenae na'u ia oe, e Kapo ku-lani.

E moe hauna-ike, e hea au, e o mai oe.

Ata la na Iehua o Kaana, 83

Ke kui ia mai la e na wahlne a lawa

I lei no Kapo--

20

O Kapo, alii nui no ia moku,

Ki'e-ki'e, ha'a-ha'a;

Ka la o ka ike e ike aku ai:

He ike kumu, he ike lono;

He ike pu-awa 84 hiwa,

25

He ike a ke Akua, e!

E Kapo, ho'i!

E ho'i a noho i kou kuahu.

Ho'ulu ia!

Eia ka wai, 85 la,

20

He wai e ola.

E ola nou, e!

Verses 9 to 15, inclusive, are almost identical in form with the first seven verses in the Mele Kuahu addressed to Laka, given on page 33.